AirPods not connecting to PC: solutions for Windows 10 and... (2023)

We show the most effective ways to stop your AirPods from disconnecting from your Windows 10 or 11 PC.

AirPods are amazingly easy-to-use wireless audio accessories in the Apple ecosystem. Unfortunately for non-Apple users, AirPods can sometimes have themIntermittent connectivity with devices such as Windows PCs.

This can be especially frustrating when it's happening at the worst of times, like work calls, intense movie scenes, or important online classes.

In this guide, we explain why your AirPods won't stay connected to your PC and provide several practical solutions to help you solve this problem. Read on to find out how!

Check the battery level of your AirPods

Although the AirPods are identical, it can happen that one earbud runs out of power and disconnects before the other.

This happens when you frequently use the "Double-tap to skip a song" or "Activate Siri" feature on a headset. these actionsconsume more energyand drains that headset's battery more quickly, affecting its ability to maintain a stable Bluetooth connection.

Incidentally, this also leads to disconnectionsother iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads, make sure your AirPods have enough charge to ensure this doesn't happen. How to do it with an iOS device:

1. OpenIdeasand touchBluetooth.

   

2. HebelBluetoothem.

   

3. Open the AirPods charging case (with the AirPods inside) near the iOS device.

   

4. You should shortly see an automatic pop-up showing the battery level of your AirPods.

   

Not sure if your AirPods are running out of power? Here is onecomplete instructionsto check the battery level of your AirPods.

Check and update your AirPods firmware

Apple sometimes releases firmware updates that enable new features and help fix old bugs. Running outdated firmware on your AirPods can cause technical glitches like audio distortion and disconnections.

To avoid this, update the firmware version of your AirPods. That's how it goes:

1. Connect your AirPods to your iOS device.

   

2. BeatIdeas,ThenBluetooth.

   

3. Lowmy devicesTap on the information icon(EU)next to your AirPods.

   

4. You should see the firmware version. As of September 8, 2022 is the latest firmware version4E71.

   

Factory reset your AirPods

If you're still having persistent connection issues, you can factory reset your AirPods. This will reset them to their original "out-of-the-box" setting. It also removes previous matchmaking history and fixes bugs and crashes.

To factory reset your AirPods using an iOS device:

1. OpenIdeasand touchBluetooth.

   

2. Lowmy devices, click on the information(EU)icon next to your AirPods.

   

3. ChooseForget this device.

   

4. Place your AirPods back into the charging case. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds.

   

5. The indicator light on the case will first flash white and then amber, indicating a successful reset.

   

   (Video) Fix: AirPods not connecting to Windows 10

Having trouble resetting your AirPods? Check this out fullyStep by step guideTo help you.

Turn your PC's Bluetooth on and off

Sometimes, your PC's Bluetooth may stop working properly, resulting in an erratic connection. A simple restart of your PC's Bluetooth should help fix this error.

You do that:

1. Right click onBeginand selectIdeas.

   

2. ChooseDevices,then clickBluetooth and other devices.

   

3. HebelBluetoothout of. Wait a few seconds and turn it back on. Your PC's Bluetooth will restart and should automatically search for nearby devices.

   

If these solutions didn't help, check out our OS-specific guides on Bluetooth headphone issues atwindow 10Öwindow 11.

restart your pc

Other times, bugs or errors likehigh CPU usagecan cause certain processes or settings, such as B. your Bluetooth, slow down or crash. Luckily, restarting your PC is a common way to fix these types of issues.

Here are the steps:

1. give clickBegin.

   

2. ChooseStrengthbutton icon

   

3. ChooseContinueno menu popup.

   

Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter

If you're still having connection issues after restarting your computer, try running the Windows Bluetooth troubleshooter. It can help identify and fix common Bluetooth connection problems.

How to activate it:

1. Right click onBeginand selectIdeas.

   

2. give clickSystemand selectsolve problems.

   

3. give clickOther bug fixes.

   

4. ChooseRunemBluetoothto start troubleshooting and follow the instructions.

   

Update the Windows software

Microsoft regularly releases updates and patches for Windows that can fix bugs and problems. An older version of Windows can leave you vulnerable to bugs that affect Bluetooth performance, so it's best to always update.

That's how it goes:

1. Right click onBeginand selectIdeas.

   

2. give clickWindows Updateand chooseCheck for updates.

   

3. If an update is available, select itdownload now.

   

4. Once installed, restart your PC and see if your AirPods connection has improved.

   

Update Bluetooth drivers

Outdated or incompatible Bluetooth drivers on your PC can slow down your system and affect Bluetooth connectivity. This is often another common cause of AirPods connection issues.

To avoid this, update your PC's Bluetooth drivers by following the steps below:

1. Typdevice administratorin the search bar and run it.

   

2. ChooseBluetooth, then right-click theadaptor bluetooth.

   

   (Video) Fix: AirPods not connecting to Windows 10 ( pairing issue)

3. Chooseupdate driversjSearch for drivers automatically. Windows will automatically start searching for the latest version of the driver.

   

4. ChooseFind drivers on my computerif you have downloaded the latest driver installation file from the manufacturer's website.

   

5. ChooseSearchto locate where you saved the configuration file and clickACCORDINGLY.

   

6. ChooseNextand follow the instructions to install the driver. Once that's done, clickFence.

   

7. Restart your computer for the driver changes to take effect.

   

Remove all other Bluetooth devices

Sometimes other Bluetooth devices or accessories connected to your PC can interfere with your AirPods' signal and cause them to lose connection. If your AirPods have a bad connection, you should manually remove other Bluetooth devices from your PC.

Follow these steps:

1. Right click onBeginand selectIdeas.

   

2. ChooseBluetooth and other devicesthen clickDevices.

   

3. Click the three dots next to the devices you want to remove and clickremove the device.

   

4. ChooseSimconfirm.

   

Completely remove AirPods from Windows

If removing other Bluetooth peripherals doesn't help, try completely removing the AirPods from your PC. This process removes all previous connections to Windows and its various hardware or software components. You can also re-pair your AirPods using a new connection.

That's how it's done:

1. Typdevice administratorin the search bar and run it.

   

2. click inVistaand selectshow hidden devices.

   

3. Double clickBluetooth.

   

4. Right-click your AirPods in the list.

   

5. ChooseUninstall device.

   

6. give clickuninstallconfirm.

   

Repeat the same steps to remove all AirPods-related devices from the following devices in Device Manager:

• Audio inputs and outputs
• other devices
• Sound, video and game controllers
• Xbox 360 Peripherals

Disable power management for AirPods

There are certain features in Windows that automatically turn off Bluetooth to save power. If this option is enabled, it can break the AirPods connection. To fix this, disable the power saving feature in Windows.

That's how it goes:

1. Emdevice administrator, double clickBluetooth.

   

2. The right mouse buttonIntel-Wireless-Bluetoothand selectCharacteristics.

   

3. Under theenergy managementUncheck the box next toAllow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

   

Change your PC's power plan settings

Certain power saving features on your PC may prioritize power conservation over performance. However, this can happen at the expense of other system processes, which can cause your AirPods to lose connection.

To fix this, you can change your Windows power plan settings. That's how it goes:

1. Right click onBeginand selectRun.

   

   (Video) Fix AirPods Not Connecting After Pairing on Windows PC

2. Typcheckin the dialog box and clickACCORDINGLYto start the control panel.

   

3. In the upper right corner, change the display view tobig icons.

   

4. Choosepower options.

   

5. ChooseBalancedÖAlt Performancein the list of power plans and test your AirPods to see if you're still experiencing disconnects.

   

Change the Bluetooth Support Service setting to Automatic

You can use the Bluetooth service settings in Windows to find and pair remote Bluetooth devices like AirPods. You may get disconnected frequently if this is not working properly on your PC.

To fix this, make sure the Bluetooth support service setting is not disabled on your PC. In this case you can reset it and set it to "automatic". This allows the service to start automatically every time you start your computer.

Here are the steps:

1. Right click onBeginand selectRun.

   

2. Typservices.mscin the dialog and pressACCORDINGLY.

   

3. Double clickBluetooth support serviceand check if theService StatusindicaRun. If not, clickBegin.

   

4. Click on the drop down menu next tostartup typeand selectAutomatically.

   

5. give clickUse, ThenACCORDINGLYgo out.

   

Turn off phone service for AirPods

With Windows Phone service, you can use a Bluetooth headset to make phone calls. However, audio issues can sometimes occur with Bluetooth headphones like AirPods, so turning it off may help.

That's how it goes:

1. TypSwitchboardin the search bar and run it.

   

2. click indevice and printer.

   

3. Right click on your AirPods and selectCharacteristics.

   

4. Under theServicestab, disablehands-free telephonyfrom the list.

   

5. give clickUse,ThenACCORDINGLY.

   

Sometimes old AirPods entries are still present in Windows Device Manager. This leads to incorrect device pairing, which can explain the connection errors.

To remove hidden entries from Device Manager:

1. Typdevice administratorin the search bar and run it.

   

2. click inVistaand selectshow hidden devices.

   

3. Double clickBluetooth, then check if there are anydarkened entrancesrelated to AirPods.

   

4. Right-click each timeEntry in grey, then selectuninstall Device.

   

5. give clickuninstallto confirm the removal of old AirPods-related devices from your system.

   

6. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

   

Disable fast startup

By default, the Windows Fast Startup feature reduces the startup time of your computer. However, some services may not start properly, which can cause connection problems.

Simply disable Fast Startup with the following steps:

1. Right click onBeginand selectRun.

   

2. Typpowercfg.cplin the dialog and pressACCORDINGLY.

   

3. NOStrength optionswindow selectionChoose what the power buttons dofrom the left sidebar.

   

4. OrClose Ideasand uncheck the box next toEnable fast startup.

   

5. give clicksave ChangesUse.

   

Disable fast torque

Windowfast coupleis a valuable feature that can help you easily connect to nearby Bluetooth devices. However, it could also be the reason why your AirPods cannot connect to your PC properly.

To see if this fixes connectivity issues, disable this feature using the following steps:

1. Right click onBeginand selectIdeas.

   

2. ChooseBluetooth & Others Devicesin the left sidebar and clickDevices.

   

3. Under Device settings, toggle the switch next toView notifications for connecting to Swift Pairto disable it.

   

Edit registry entry

Bluetooth devices and drivers on your computer have registry entries that tell the system what type of device is connected. If there is an incorrect entry in the Windows registry, your AirPods may not always be able to connect well.

To fix this you need to manually edit your registry and change its value. To edit the value using the Windows registry editor:

1. TypRecord Editorin the search bar and run it.

   

2. In the left sidebar, double-click under ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

   

3. Double clickSystem.

   

4. double clickControlSet001.

   

5. double clickCheck.

   

6. double clickclassroomand find the file named{e0cbf06c-cd8b-4647-bb8a-263b43f0f974}.

   

7. Right click on0000.

   

8. ChooseNovo, Thenstring value.

   

9. Rename the new string value toPnPC Skills.

   

10. double clickPnPC Skills, then write24lowreading.

    

11. give clickACCORDINGLYand restart your computer.

    

Editing registry values ​​incorrectly can seriously affect the stability of your PC. To be sure,Make a backup copy of the system registrybefore you edit it.

Use a bluetooth dongle

If you've tried the above methods but your AirPods still won't connect to your PC properly, you might want to use a Bluetooth dongle.

A Bluetooth dongle is an adapter that connects to your computer via the USB port. When connected, it allows your PC to receive and transmit a Bluetooth signal. This device might allow you to re-pair your AirPods to your PC and see if the connection stabilizes.

You can buy some of the best bluetooth donglesHere.

Diploma

In a perfect world, AirPods would be compatible and work seamlessly with all devices outside of the Apple ecosystem. Unfortunately, Microsoft is taking steps to do soimprove tolerabilitybetween AirPods and PC, this reality is still far away.

For now, you can use at least one of the twenty solutions above to resolve connection issues between your AirPods and your PC so you can keep using them without interruption or frustration.

What do you think of our solutions? Did we miss something or did you find something else that worked for you? Tell us in the comments!